REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON LIBRARY POST
The committee appointed by the League to assist in obtaining favorable postal rates for library books reports as follows:
As the members of the League are aware, the provisions of the general parcel post law were so changed immediately before its enactment that printed matter was excluded from the privileges of the parcel post rates. Consequently the long-distance lobbying which the committee and the profession indulged in, favoring the parcel post law, went for naught.
Since that time the committee has been in correspondence with a number of members of Congress favorable to the admission of library books to parcel post rates. During the winter the committee communicated with all of the library commissions and with many state and city libraries asking their co-operation in interesting their representatives in so changing the law as to admit books. While reports indicate that this co-operation was furnished, and several Congressmen stand ready to favor a change, the results have been nil. This failure to get any results whatsoever is partly due to the fact that special legislation had entirely engaged the attention of Congress.
The committee desires to call the attention of the League to the fact that it is not at all certain that to be included in this original parcel post law would be a great assistance to the libraries in circulating books. For practical library use the changed rates would be of little or no advantage, except for points within the fifty mile zone. Take, for example, a book weighing a trifle over one pound (and this is a very ordinary-sized book). It can be sent anywhere within the postal union for nine cents under the present third class rates. By parcel post rate it would cost six cents to send this book to a point in the city or along any rural route centering in the city. It will cost eight cents to send this book anywhere within the fifty mile zone. Above the fifty mile zone the parcel post rate will exceed the third class rate as indicated below.
- 150 mile zone—ten cents—1 cent excess over existing 3rd class.
- 300 mile zone—twelve cents—3 cents excess over existing 3rd class.
- 600 mile zone—fourteen cents—5 cents excess over existing 3rd class.
- 1,000 mile zone—sixteen cents—7 cents excess over existing 3rd class.
and so on, until it will cost twenty-four cents to send the book more than 1,800 miles by parcel post as against the nine cents under existing third class rates—an excess of 15 cents.
These facts are the occasion for, and justify the opposition which some publishing houses and other commercial houses sending out books or catalogs exhibited to including printed matter within the parcel post law. In some ways it would be unfortunate at this time to admit books to the parcel post rates, since accepting these unsatisfactory rates might prevent further re-adjustments for some time to come. It might be wiser to make an effort to get better rates.
It is the committee's judgment that there is much in common between the library authorities and some of the commercial forces which opposed admitting printed matter to the parcel post, that we have all much in common.
It is therefore recommended that the committee be directed to use every effort to get into communication with the forces which have opposed the admission of printed matter to the parcel post rates in order that these forces may be united with library authorities in an effort so to adjust rates as to be more advantageous to all than the present parcel post rates would be.
In conclusion, the committee reports that it seems unlikely that any further legislation will be immediately enacted.
Respectfully submitted,
M. S. DUDGEON, Chairman,
ZAIDEE BROWN,
MARY E. DOWNEY.
June 25, 1913.
The report was accepted, and the committee continued and directed to carry out the recommendation contained in the report.
The following reports of the publication committee and the committee on study outlines were read: